Infrared Space‑Solar Pathway

Beaming energy with near‑infrared light to existing ground photovoltaic receivers offers an alternative path to space‑based solar power that sidesteps crowded microwave spectrum allocation and leverages existing utility‑scale solar hardware. A working airborne demo using the same components planned for orbit shows the concept is technically plausible at small scale and identifies the next technical and regulatory bottlenecks (pointing, survivability, launch mass and debris resilience). — If scalable, an infrared‑based SBSP route would reshape debates about national energy security, launch policy, spectrum governance, and who controls future planetary‑scale power infrastructure.